Editorial Guidelines
Our Editorial Guidelines apply to all members who submit original content. Failure to comply with the Editorial Guidelines may result in unpublished content, account suspension, or termination.
Accuracy & Fact-Checking
See Near Me prohibits the publication of deliberately misleading information. All members are responsible for fact-checking their own stories. Our editorial team may remove content that's not properly fact-checked.
Fairness
Members should not intentionally omit information that helps provide the whole picture or adds vital context to understanding a story. Members should be motivated to get as close to the truth as possible and only refer to an individual's race, gender, or sexuality if pertinent to the story.
Attribution
Members must attribute the source unless the source lacks credibility. References to other reporting must be hyperlinked unless the sources are not credible. Members who recount others' experiences must never present them as their own.
Impartiality
Members should seek to avoid bias in their storytelling. The Impartiality policy does not apply to Members who offer their opinions on local happenings, politics, restaurants, etc.
Fabrication
Falsifying information and presenting it as fact is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate account termination.
Quotations
Members must accurately quote individuals, sources, and documents and never take words or actions out of context. Where quotes have been shortened for length, members should indicate that's the case by using ellipses.
Clickbait
The use of clickbait by members is prohibited. Clickbait is a headline that deliberately teases, misleads, or omits critical information to elicit clicks and does not accurately represent the article's content.
Prior Review from Sources
We prohibit members from sending stories to sources for approval before their publication. In some cases, a source is allowed to see a copy of her quotes, or a member may send an excerpt to a source to ensure accuracy. However, sources should never get a final sign-off on a piece before publication.
Expertise
To represent yourself or a person as an expert in public health, medicine, academia, mental health, science, or other professions, we require proven expertise in the topic area and the appropriate professional licenses necessary for members to offer analysis.
Video
Videos deliberately manipulated to mischaracterize an event or subject are strictly prohibited. Contributors may also not edit videos so that the content appears out of context or changes the material's meaning. See Near Me prohibits the use of video captured surreptitiously with malicious intent or in any manner that violates the law, including, but not limited to, filming someone without their permission in an embarrassing or inappropriate environment. Deepfakes are prohibited unless they are the story's subject and clearly labeled for the audience.
Photos
Cropping and minor adjustments to tone and color density are acceptable if they don't alter the photo's meaning. Cropping an individual from an image to intentionally mislead is prohibited. In pictures or videos, members must blur the faces of minors unless the child's photo has been released by law enforcement or members obtain the parents' permission. We encourage members to blur alleged victims' faces in certain stories about sexual assault where the accuser wishes to remain anonymous.
Conflicts of Interest
Members should avoid reporting on friends or family unless it is essential to telling a story. Members should not accept gifts from sources of coverage. Members should refrain from covering subject matter from which they would directly benefit. Members must disclose conflicts of interest at the top of the story in such cases.
